"You could search the entire world and still find only this one. Even if you had a million Galleons, you wouldn't be able to buy information about it," Dylan said, pausing before adding, "Of course, if you really had a million, you might be able to buy some information."
Hearing this, a thoughtful expression flashed across Harry's face.
"It seems that when those people attacked Gringotts, they didn't take any gold Galleons," he mused.
Ron, still confused, turned to Dylan and asked, "So, what is that thing?"
Dylan curled his lips. "Even if it were a pile of dung, I wouldn't know!"
Ron gave him an exasperated look before having a realization.
"If we really want to find out, why don't we ask Professor Dumbledore? Wasn't it the headmaster who arranged for Hagrid to retrieve that item? He must know something."
Ron immediately shook his head and gestured for Dylan to keep quiet while nervously glancing toward the professors' table.
"How exactly should we ask? Should we tell Professor Dumbledore that we sneaked into the restricted area yesterday? Oh my God, he would expel us from Hogwarts for sure!"
Harry also shook his head like a rattle.
"We must not tell any professor about this!"
Dylan rolled his eyes.
He already knew what had happened last night. If it hadn't been for the little Coal Ball, Harry and his friends might have been caught in the restricted area by Filch. But Coal had lured Mrs. Norris and Filch away, allowing Harry and the others to move freely.
Even so, they had still entered the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor and stumbled into that mysterious room.
Ron and the others had claimed that Peeves had chased them there, but Dylan had his doubts.
Peeves had been at Hogwarts since its founding and was known for causing trouble, but would he really lead first-year students into life-threatening danger?
During the Battle of Hogwarts, Peeves had shown absolute loyalty to the school. He had even fought against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. As much as he enjoyed mischief, he wouldn't deliberately place young wizards in a fatal situation.
Dylan stole a glance at Dumbledore, who sat calmly at the teachers' table, eating at a leisurely pace with no expression of concern.
A thought suddenly crossed Dylan's mind.
Voldemort had created the spell "Corpse Reappearance," which, after being enhanced by the system, had the ability to deter spirits and dark creatures.
If such a spell existed, was there another spell in the wizarding world that could not only repel spirits but also control them?
As the greatest wizard of the 20th century, was it possible that Dumbledore knew such magic?
Voldemort had researched dark magic extensively and created new spells, yet Dumbledore had once been close to Grindelwald and had knowledge of dark arts from their time together.
Dumbledore was never just a kind old man.
Voldemort might have been formidable, but if Dumbledore had truly devoted himself to the study of dark magic, it was unclear who would emerge as the more powerful wizard.
Dylan shrugged off the thought.
"Well, whether or not Dumbledore orchestrated everything, Harry and the others won't be in any real danger. So why should I bother worrying about it?"
After finishing their meal, the group hurried off to class.
Under Dylan's influence, Harry, Ron, Neville, and even Hermione had started taking their studies seriously.
Gone were the days of hiding in the back row. Now, they all sat in the front row with Dylan.
Of course, this had nothing to do with the fact that professors seemed to go easier on students sitting near Dylan—or that he occasionally passed them small hints to help answer questions correctly.
They simply wanted to focus on their studies.
That Friday, they had History of Magic—taught by the ghost professor, who droned on in a monotone, making it almost impossible to stay awake.
By the time class ended, Dylan's drowsy brain finally began to clear.
"Now I can go meet the professor for my private lesson!"
Dylan quickly packed his things.
That evening, he had arranged to meet Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy professor, to discuss a widely speculated concept in the wizarding world: The Star Power Tide.
Dylan found astronomy fascinating.
It might seem like an unimportant subject, but the fact that it was a compulsory course for all young wizards suggested otherwise.
After some research, Dylan noticed an interesting pattern—many wizards' names were linked to celestial bodies.
Take Professor Aurora Sinistra, for example.
"Aurora" could refer to the northern lights or dawn, while "Sinistra" was the name of a star in the constellation Ophiuchus.
Then there was Sirius Black—named after Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.
And Draco Malfoy, whose name came from the Draco constellation.
Clearly, pure-blood wizard families placed great importance on celestial bodies.
This also hinted that magic itself might be linked to the stars.
Even for divination, one needed a deep understanding of the constellations.
Dylan hadn't yet fully explored divination because he wanted to master astronomy first.
Time flew by quickly.
Dylan's schedule remained packed—morning classes, evening study sessions, and weekend private lessons.
During this period, Hermione's relationship with Harry and the others had also improved significantly.
After all, they had gone through several adventures together, including breaking school rules and narrowly escaping trouble. Shared experiences often forged friendships.
Even if they didn't get along at first, their bond gradually strengthened.
While Dylan was buried in his studies, Harry wasn't idle either.
To Oliver Wood, Harry was a savior—but not just the savior of the wizarding world.
He was the savior of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Harry was thrown into grueling Quidditch training.
Though he didn't wake up at 4 AM like Dylan, he still had to rise promptly at 7 AM every day.
Most nights, when Dylan finished his private lessons, he would run into Harry on the way back to the dormitory, exhausted from practice.
Dylan, in the meantime, had rapidly expanded his knowledge of magic.
He had mastered several new spells, unlocking new achievements that enriched his magical skills and personal resources.
However, the constant studying, training, and pressure started to build up.
Day after day, he functioned like a machine, attending classes, practicing magic, and seeking out knowledge.
The pressure accumulated.
Until one day…
(End of Chapter 37)
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